Central Florida attractions

Forget Shark Week. Wild Florida will hold its annual Gator Week May 7-12, and best of all, admission is free to its Gator and Wildlife Park during that week.

Even though many view alligators as fierce carnivores always on the hunt, that’s not actually the case. To help dispel the myths, Wild Florida decided to dedicate an entire week to educating and debunking many common misunderstandings surrounding these reptiles through live demonstrations and interactive experiences.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (KSCVC) has long been known as the gateway to outer space for those seeking to get a close up view of our nation’s space program. Between housing space artifacts and memorabilia, to actual spacecraft like the orbiter Atlantis, as well as hosting viewings of launches from the historic pads, they have always been on the cutting edge of space related tourism.

With the introduction of the all new Astronaut Training Experience (ATX), KSCVC will continue the tradition of offering hands-on interactive exhibits, but with a twist – you actually get to experience training for simulated space missions!

Forget Shark Week. Wild Florida will launch their first annual Gator Week May 1-6, and best of all, admission is free to its Gator and Wildlife Park during that week.

Even though many view alligators as fierce carnivores always on the hunt, that’s not actually the case. To help dispel the myths, Wild Florida decided to dedicate an entire week to educating and debunking many common misunderstandings surrounding these reptiles through live demonstrations and interactive experiences.

The centerpiece of the nightly event is a “Spirit of Exploration” show projected against the side of a Saturn 1B. Reimagined for 2016, it takes guests on a journey through NASA’s history and plans for the future.

Literally decades in the making, Heroes and Legends featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame is now open at Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex.

Positioned just inside the entrance, the attraction takes guests on a journey through an awe-inspiring immersive exhibit that uses cutting-edge technology and interactive elements to introduce the legendary men and women who pioneered our journey into space.

As we get closer to the opening date for the Heroes & Legends attraction at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, it’s been announced that The Boeing Company will be the title sponsor.

During the announcement ceremony, a ten-foot long silhouette of an X-15 rocket plane was raised to the top of the building.

The X-15, which was manufactured by a legacy Boeing company, North American Aviation, flew for nearly a decade, achieving hypersonic speeds and exploring the upper edge of the Earth’s atmosphere. Its technology contributed to the development of the historic Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle Programs.

Friday, I had the chance to attend a mixed media/passholder preview of the 2015 edition of “Holidays in Space” at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, and I have to say it’s a lovely addition to all the other incredible things to see at the complex.

Your first taste of the holiday theming is the giant NASA logo that has been tranformed into a giant ornament. Peace on Earth, indeed.

Returning for its fourth year, “Holidays in Space” offers visitors to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex a unique hi-tech way to celebrate the holidays, along with the history of space exploration.

Highlights of the celebration include the very cool “Spirit of Exploration” show, a one-of-a-kind presentation of space and holiday imagery shown on the side of the 223-foot-long Saturn 1B rocket, accompanied by mood lighting in the Rocket Garden.

In a press release on its Facebook page, Central Florida attraction Fantasy of Flight announced it will no longer be open to the public, as of April 6, 2014.

Fantasy of Flight is an incredible aviation-themed attraction owned by Kermit Weeks showcasing vintage aircraft from the world’s largest private collection. If you’ve never made the trip to the attraction in Polk City, you most likely saw its airplane advertising on I-4 between Orlando and Tampa.

Housed in three huge hangars are over 40 airplanes, many of which are restored to original flying condition. In addition to all of the planes, there are themed immersion experiences, flight simulators. interactive exhibits, a tram tour of aircraft maintenance areas, restoration and backlot tours, and more.

“After 18 years of being in operation, it’s time we close the attraction and move forward toward creating the vision for what I know Fantasy of Flight can become,” Weeks said about the closing.

Fantasy of Flight will still exist, but only as an events business, for weddings, meetings, and such. It will also turn the facility into what it was originally designed for, which is a restoration and maintenance facility that will be needed to build future attraction elements. For those who wish to enjoy the historical aspects of aircraft, plans are to open part of the collection in a reduced capacity and admission price later this year.

Groups that are currently booked for admittance to the attraction after April 6 will be issued refunds (including deposits). Groups contracted for Wing Walk Air only and/or private events will not be affected by these changes. Annual passholders will receive a pro-rated refund based on the date of purchase, and refund checks will be mailed to the passholder’s address on file via USPS beginning April 8. If you are an annual pass holder with questions or need to update your mailing address, please contact Brittani Taylor at btaylor@fantasyofflight.com.

In the meantime, you have one month to make the trek out to Polk City if you wish to see this cool aviation attraction.

Fantasy of Flight is open Thursdays through Sundays from 10am to 5pm. For more information about Fantasy of Flight or for event schedules and admission prices, visit fantasyofflight.com or call 863-984-3500.

Kennedy Space Center is putting the finishing touches on their new Space Shuttle Atlantisattraction, and they have announced that they will be installing a full-size, high-fidelity version of the Hubble Space Telescope as part of the exhibit.

The replica cuts through two stories of the attraction, and measures 43 feet long and 14 feet in diameter. Its fully deployed solar arrays extend an additional 7 feet on each side.

“Guests can get a feel for the incredible size of the telescope and will be able to view the Hubble replica from very close up, just as they will do with Atlantis,” said Bill Moore, chief operating officer of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

This $100 million attraction, opening June 29, will shine the spotlight on NASA’s 30-year Space Shuttle Program and its accomplishments, most notably the deployment and servicing missions for the Hubble Space Telescope and the launch and assembly of the International Space Station.

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has announced that it will open the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit on June 29, 2013.

This $100 million project will feature the shuttle as its centerpiece. Atlantis will be suspended off the ground and placed at a 43-degree angle with its payload doors open and its robotic arm extended.

The 90,000-square-foot exhibit will also include 60 interactive stations detailing the history of the space shuttle program.

“Although the multimillion-dollar interactive exhibit encompasses much, much more than the display of Atlantis, there is no denying, she is truly the star of the show,” said Bill Moore, chief operating officer of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. “We know that this majestic beauty, which safely ferried men and women to space and back on 33 successful missions, is the real reason that our guests will travel thousands of miles, across oceans and across continents to visit Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to see her in all her glory. There are no words to accurately describe the emotions and insights guests will gain when this attraction opens this summer, for there has truly never been anything like it before.”

Atlantis was rolled to its new home in a ceremony we covered last November. It has been covered in shrink wrap since then to protect it from construction dust and debris, and will be unwrapped in May, prior to the exhibit opening.

Yesterday (December 27), the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex unveiled the first phase of a 10-year Master Plan to enhance the guest experience, when it opened a new $16 million entry.

The new entry includes:

a grand plaza and fountain

ticket stations and self-service kiosks

will call, guest services and information stations

a retail shop

a restaurant

The new entrance draws guests from the parking lot into a grand entry plaza where they are greeted by a first-ever 3D representation of the NASA insignia that spans 13 feet in diameter.

To the right of the globe stands a 75-foot-long fountain that pays homage to the dreams of late President John F. Kennedy, for whom NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is named.

Kennedy’s face, along with a quote from his famous 1962 “moon speech” at Rice University, are laser etched onto a skyward-reaching arch of blue granite that stands 30-feet at its highest point. The inscription reads, “For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond…”

The 5,000-gallon fountain is lit in the evenings with LED lights and features 26 jets of water that can be programmed to create light shows for guests as they exit the park or during evening special events or exhibitions.

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Since 2010, we have covered the theme parks and all the other fun stuff to do in Central Florida, but we also cover events, dining, shopping, nightlife and news of interest to those who live in the Orlando area.

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